Core-shell nanowire serves as heat cable

To analyze the thermal transport properties in core-shell nanowires, we calculate systematically the distributions of heat flux in InAs/GaAs and GaAs/InAs core-shell nanowires by using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that for InAs/GaAs core-shell nanowires, the heat current tends to transport in the shell, while for GaAs/InAs core-shell nanowires the heat current tends to transport through the core. Moreover, a simple equation is presented to describe the relationship of the thermal conductance among the core, the tubular shell, and core-shell nanowire. It is suggested that the core-shell nanowires can be served as heat cable. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.